Wednesday, August 13

How To Speak Mush.

His hard line has been derided as provocative, and possibly dangerous, by some so-called realist foreign policy experts, who warn that isolating Russia would do little to encourage it to change. But others, including neoconservatives who deem promoting democracy a paramount goal, see Mr. McCain’s position as principled, and prescient. Now, with Russia moving forcefully into Georgia as Mr. McCain seeks the presidency, his views are being scrutinized as never before through the prism of Russia’s invasion.

1) So-called realists? If there's some sense in which this does not, in fact, qualify as Real realism I for one would sure like to hear Mr. Cooper explain it. 2) Others, including neoconservatives? Here I'd just like Mr. Cooper to explain the construction. Is it intended to show that neoconservatives have garnered support from other points on the political spectrum? To deny that Mr. Cooper was singling them out for their so-called incoherent irrationalism? Why bring them into it at all, except as a kind of shorthand for conventional wisdom? There is one option, and one alone, for repelling the Russian army without availing ourselves of the one we no longer have: we could start WWXVI, at last count, in the name of spreading democracy. Let's hear the neoncons, and "others", say that. 3) Similarly, McCain's views have had all the scrutiny they require, in Iraq and Afghanistan, supposing that we need to actually poke our own eyes out in order to understand sightlessness. The only people who weren't scrutinizing it beforehand were the very people paid to do so, but who have a personal interest in a blustering, expansionist--and already dead and buried--US foreign policy.

I hope you'll continue to post frequently on this absurd Georgia situation, and our official absurd reaction to it. The mainstream media is saying very little sensible, although the realities shine through, as in yesterday's PBS report from Georgia, where a Russian tank driver or somesuch (guy in the field, in uniform, beside his tank) said "we may go on to Tblisi--you went on to Baghdad." EXACTLY. What the hell are our Sec. of State and Sec. of Defense talking about? What total bullshit. And as far as invoking our so-call common interest in thwarting a nuclear Iran--well, I'd wager that Iran will absolutely not fuck with Russia, nukes or not, after this demonstration. On the other hand, Iran watches us melt in the 130 degree heat of the Iraq summer, and evaporate in Afganistan, and nods it's head sagely. What a bunch of dumbasses we have had for the past 7 years, running our foreign policy. --Beel